Kootenai County issues high wind warning as gusts up to 70 mph expected

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — A high wind warning has been declared in North Idaho as Kootenai County emergency officials prepare for a significant windstorm expected to impact the entire county.

Kootenai County Emergency Management warns that falling debris, widespread power outages and damage to homes or residents are all possible with this storm.

“We’re expected to see gusts in some places up to 70mph. So definitely a more impactful wind storm coming into our region, especially for North Idaho with the recent rainfall in the saturation of soils that we’ve seen,” said Tiffany Westbrook from the Kootenai County Office of Emergency Management.

Emergency managers are keeping a close eye on the Cataldo area because of the recent flooding, but expect this wind storm could impact the entire county. Officials want everyone to prepare for the severe weather conditions.

An Ace Hardware store in north Idaho reports that people have been purchasing items like propane, flashlights, batteries and lanterns. The Kootenai County Emergency Management says those are the types of things residents need in their homes to prepare for a storm like this.

“Making sure that you have what you need in case the power does go out. It’s definitely not as cold as we’ve seen during this time of year, but it still can get cold. So making sure that you have, blankets and things like that to make it through if needed,” Westbrook said.

Since the worst of the storm is expected to hit tonight, emergency management says sleeping in a different part of the house could keep residents safe.

“If you’re able to just stay away from windows, anything that can potentially get impacted by a downed tree or falling debris, if you have a second level in your home, the basement is probably the safest place for you to be during the windstorm,” Westbrook said.

The biggest thing emergency managers are asking of the community is to not call 911 unless there is a real emergency. Officials say if power goes out, residents should call their utility provider or check their outage website.